Robert Clinton Bast Jr., (born December 8, 1943) is an American physician-scientist who is the Director of Translational Research Career Development at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and holder of the Harry Carrothers Wiess Distinguished University Chair.[1] Bast is best known for the discovery of CA125, a serum biomarker for ovarian cancer that has contributed to the care of ovarian cancer patients worldwide.[2] His research spans early detection, enhancing chemotherapy and understanding regulation of dormancy and the role of autophagy in breast and ovarian cancer.[3]
In 1984, Bast moved to Duke University Medical Center as Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of Hematology-Oncology. He led the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center as Director from 1987 to 1994 and was named the Wellcome Clinical Professor of Medicine in 1992.[9]
Since joining MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bast has held several leadership roles, including Head of the Division of Medicine (1994-2000) and Vice President for Translational Research (2000–2022). He continues to serve as Professor in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics.[10]
Research
Bast’s most widely recognized contribution is the discovery of CA125 (MUC16), a tumor-associated antigen used as a biomarker for ovarian cancer.[11] Collaborating with Robert Knapp at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Bast had developed the first monoclonal antibodies directed against human ovarian cancer and the 125th promising hybridoma recognized CA125. Initially introduced for monitoring disease persistence, progression and recurrence, CA125 is also used to distinguish malignant from benign pelvic masses and has contributed to trials for early detection. Combining rising CA125 and ultrasound has achieved adequate specificity and detected 70% of cases in early stage.[12] Beyond CA125, Bast’s lab has identified 3 additional biomarkers from >130 candidates that detect cases missed by CA125 and that are being evaluated in the first 4-biomarker screening trial for ovarian cancer.[13][14]
Bast’s group has also made key discoveries in tumor biology. Having first demonstrated that epithelial ovarian cancer is clonal in origin, they discovered DIRAS3 (ARHI)[15][16], an imprinted tumor suppressor gene downregulated in many cancers whose re-expression induces dormancy as well as autophagy which sustains dormant cancer cells in a nutrient poor environment.[17] DIRAS3 is also an endogenous pan-suppressor of RAS that binds directly to the oncogene, disrupting dimers, clusters and downstream signaling.[18] Salt induced kinase 2 (SIK2) was found to be required for several cancer cell functions and its inhibition enhances the activity of the chemotherapeutic drugs and PARP inhibitors used to treat ovarian cancer.[19]
Bast has authored over 750 peer-reviewed publications, chapters, editorials and commentaries and served as editor-in-chief of major oncology texts, including Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine.
Champion and Changemaker of Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Symptom Science, NCI 50th Anniversary of the National Cancer Act
Ovarcome Pioneer Award
Society of Gynecologic Oncology Innovator Award
Claudia Cohen Award (Gynecologic Cancer Foundation)
Rosalind Franklin Award (Ovarian Cancer National Alliance)
Award for Excellence (International Gynecologic Cancer Society)
Lemaistre Outstanding Achievement Award (M.D. Anderson)
Henry Asbury Christian Award (Harvard Medical School)
Bast has also been consistently recognized in Best Doctors in America and America’s Top Doctors.
Selected publications
Bast RC, Jr; Zbar, B; Borsos, T; Rapp, HJ (20 June 1974). "BCG and cancer (first of two parts)". The New England Journal of Medicine. 290 (25): 1413–20. doi:10.1056/NEJM197406202902506. PMID4364286.
Bast RC, Jr; Klug, TL; St John, E; Jenison, E; Niloff, JM; Lazarus, H; Berkowitz, RS; Leavitt, T; Griffiths, CT; Parker, L; Zurawski VR, Jr; Knapp, RC (13 October 1983). "A radioimmunoassay using a monoclonal antibody to monitor the course of epithelial ovarian cancer". The New England Journal of Medicine. 309 (15): 883–7. doi:10.1056/NEJM198310133091503. PMID6310399.
Ahmed, Ahmed Ashour; Lu, Zhen; Jennings, Nicholas B.; Etemadmoghadam, Dariush; Capalbo, Luisa; Jacamo, Rodrigo O.; Barbosa-Morais, Nuno; Le, Xiao-Feng; Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group; Vivas-Mejia, Pablo; Lopez-Berestein, Gabriel; Grandjean, Geoffrey; Bartholomeusz, Geoffrey; Liao, Warren; Andreeff, Michael (2010-08-09). "SIK2 is a centrosome kinase required for bipolar mitotic spindle formation that provides a potential target for therapy in ovarian cancer". Cancer Cell. 18 (2): 109–121. doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2010.06.018. ISSN:1878-3686. PMC:3954541. PMID:20708153.
Han, Chae Young; Lu, Karen H.; Corrigan, Gwen; Perez, Alexandra; Kohring, Sharlene D.; Celestino, Joseph; Bedi, Deepak; Bedia, Enrique; Bevers, Therese; Boruta, David; Carlson, Matthew; Holman, Laura; Leeds, Leroy; Mathews, Cara; McCann, Georgia (2024-04-01). "Normal Risk Ovarian Screening Study: 21-Year Update". Journal of Clinical Oncology: Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 42 (10): 1102–1109. doi:10.1200/JCO.23.00141. ISSN:1527-7755. PMC:11003507. PMID:38194613.
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